1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sports. More specifically, it relates to an improved racket handle construction wherein the length between the gripping portion and the racket or object engaging portion of the device can be easily and safely changed. More generally, it relates to any application where a quick change in the length of an elongate object is desired, such as in a collapsible flagpole, a cheerleader's baton, or even a temporary load bearing support, for instance.
Thus it can be seen that the potential fields of use for this invention are myriad and the particular preferred embodiment described herein is in no way meant to limit the use of the invention to the particular field chosen for exposition of the details of the invention.
A comprehensive listing of all the possible fields to which this invention may be applied is limited only by the imagination and is therefore not provided herein. Some of the more obvious applications are mentioned herein in the interest of providing a full and complete disclosure of the unique properties of this previously unknown general purpose article of manufacture. It is to be understood from the outset that the scope of this invention is not limited to these fields or to the specific examples of potential uses presented hereinafter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a large number of sports where an elongate utensil or tool is used to strike or engage a ball or like object. Elementary physics tells us that the greater the distance between the grip of the tool and the engaging portion, the more force can be applied to striking the object. Additionally, if the point of the game is to engage or catch the object in question, the longer reach is useful. A number of sports have differently sized sticks or rackets for different positions, with lacrosse being one example. Another useful aspect of having an adjustable racket is that various lengths can be gradually used to develop hand-eye coordination. A need exists for a handle construction that allows the user to easily change the length and that additionally provides safety features so that the grip and racket cannot inadvertently come apart when the user is swinging. A number of related U.S. Patents were uncovered during a search at the Patent and Trademark Office and they are discussed hereinafter:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,965 issued to Richard E. Frenkel et al. on Jul. 13, 1976 discloses a game racket wherein a detachable handle includes radially extending camming surfaces that cooperate with radially movable wall plates to allow the user to adjust the diameter of the handle. This is dissimilar from the present invention in that there is no teaching of the biased detent means or the locking means required by the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,584 issued to Gunter Adams on Oct. 8, 1985 discloses a racket with an adjustable handle. In this invention, the handle itself is made up of a pair of half-shells that fit over the shaft and are held there by means of an elastic strip, an elastic tube, or tube sections. An adjustment screw is inserted into a threaded borehole, and thus the location of the handle portion can be moved longitudinally on the shaft. Unlike the present invention, the outer locking and unlocking sliding portion with its biased ball detent positioning means is not shown.
And lastly, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,838 issued to Pericles Gabrielidis on Feb. 10, 1987 there is disclosed a tennis racket with an adjustable handle. The handle portion is made up of two C-shaped members that clamp over the shank. A flexible grip material is then wrapped around the clamping members to secure them in the proper position. Unlike the instant invention, no locking or unlocking mechanism is shown to streamline the adjustment procedure.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.